


Leave Them Be

by MarisFerasi



Category: Preacher (TV)
Genre: Affection, Angst and Feels, Arguing, Character Study, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Jealousy, Late Night Conversations, Literal Sleeping Together, Resurrection, Rift, Sleepy Kisses, Squabbling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-05-29 05:47:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15066503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarisFerasi/pseuds/MarisFerasi
Summary: I can't get Jesse's LOOK and unbelievably jealous JAW CLENCH out of my head from the premiere Sunday night.No real spoilers, no smut, just cuddles, feels, NOT OT3 because guys, the boys HATE each other right now.Just Cassidy getting some love for a change. The poor thing.





	Leave Them Be

**Author's Note:**

> My god this got long. Apparently Cassidy doesn't let me write under 2000 words for a one-off anymore.  
> Never fear, I'm always drafting and working on WIGD, but as these episodes churn up feels I gotta write em out or they'll affect stories that aren't in their timeline.

Cassidy helped Tulip out of her tall heels and bracketed her hips with his inky hands as she wobbled up the stairs barefoot, swaying cautiously as she found her footing like a baby colt.

She'd- _of course_ \- refused to be carried.

Cass was still shaking, still in a state of manic disbelief that she was _really_ here and _back_ and he hadn't just officially snapped. 

Jesse would have deserved it if he had. And then Cass could have gone off and mourned like he did every twenty or so years anyway, and gotten on with his stupid, aimless existence. 

Found another set of humans and repeated the pattern he hated so much, but could never seem to break.

But Tulip _was_ here, clenching now onto his hand and the handrail as she toddled up the staircase to the corner bedroom Jesse was directing them toward for the night. 

The man himself was up ahead, a black smudge walking into the room now with their bags from the car slung over his shoulders. He set them down on a chaise and watched Cassidy carefully set an obviously-weary Tulip on the edge of the bed, kneeling down in front of her. The vampire hadn't had much chance to welcome her back to the land of the living, what with Jesse draped across her'n all. 

Lord he'd enjoyed that searching look and relieved smile she gave him, though. Made his stone- dead heart feel warm.

Jesse gritted his molars and childishly broke from glaring at the two of them, one hand on his hip while the other pawed through their bags looking for non-blood-soaked clothes for all three. 

All he found were her bathing suits and his sunblock, Cassidy's pillowcase full of holey underwear and stolen gender-non-specific shirts from laundromats and clotheslines. No pajamas or outerwear at all. Some kind of filmy dress thing... Jesse stuffed it back in Tulip's bag and rubbed his eyes. 

Maybe he still had some old clothes up here Tulip could fit in... Jesse walked around the room to his old armoire, digging out some sweatpants and a shirt that might work. He came back to the bed and set them beside her. 

"Why's there only beach stuff packed?" He demanded, looking between the two of them. 

"'cause we were goin' to Bimini without yeh, Jess." Cassidy supplied the jab with as little inflection as he could muster, so fucking _exhausted_ with the chaos of the last day that he really couldn't care less about pissing the preacher off just then. "She got shot sayin bye to a neighbor 'fore we took off." 

Jesse's eyes darkened and he flicked his gaze to Tulip. She shrugged and used Cass' shoulders to stand, trailing one hand up his neck to ruffle his curls while reaching for the old clothes Jesse had given her. 

"You left us, Jesse. Y'kept leavin'. So we figured it was our turn." She said, and left the boys in the room and slipped into the attached bathroom to peel off her soaked dress and clean up. 

Cassidy heaved a sigh and stood, sitting back in the spot Tulip had just vacated. His eyes looked so old just then, thought Jesse. 

The vampire was _tired_ , and he never got tired. Not really. He was hungry, starved in fact. But he had absolutely no intent to leave Tulip's side right now. He'd sleep on the floor if Jesse tried turning him out. 

What was the big bad preacher gonna do to him, anyway? Without Genesis, he wasn't much of a threat at the moment. 

Wouldn't be at all once he ate, Cass thought. 

But their girl seemed pleased to have both of them at the moment, so neither was inclined to start a fight when all any of them wanted was a little peace and some sleep. 

Jesse just sort of stood at the end of the bed, clenching the bars in his fists to watch the whites of his knuckles pop up, scraped and embossed with both Cassidy's and Jody's blood. He wondered if Tulip remembered her last few moments, or if she was already in shock by then. 

Did she remember their fight over her, at all? Did she even hear it? Feel the vibrations of them fighting just inches away while she drowned in her own blood?

When Tulip came out of the bathroom reasonably clean and in his old clothes, leaving her holey, sticky dress in the tub, Jesse smiled weakly and slipped in past her. He ran a hand down her arm when he passed though, and was pleased that she didn't flinch at all. 

_His girl._

* * *

"Thanks for trying, I know he can be a stubborn ass," Tulip murmured. Her and Cassidy laid on the bed, face-to-face, and had been talking in hushed tones since Jesse disappeared. She was staring at Cass' shirt, smeared with her own blood across the chest and up the arms. He had neither had time to nor even thought to change in the chaos of the day. 

"Stubborn doesn' begin ta touch it, luv. If this hadn'ta worked..." He shook his head, "I'd've killed him and went an sat meself outside til morning. If I 'ad ta guts ter stay put is another matter." Tulip pursed her lips and let him take her hand, grounding them both a little. 

Why had this man, this immortal idiot right here, done _so much_ for her in the last month, when Jesse could barely speak to her?

Cassidy had kept secrets for her, helped her hide a body, kept himself occupied when it was obvious she wanted space in Nola, kept _her_ entertained when she wanted affection and Jesse was gone again, helped them both when he'd told Jesse about Viktor, saved her from the Saint, stayed on her side when they found out about Grail and Jesse's intentions, and had _still_ been forced to watch her die while he tried to fight her boyfriend to save her. 

Why was she so mean to him in return? All he wanted to do was love her and not be hit with a rolled up newspaper for it.

But all _she_ ever wanted was for Jesse to love her back. 

Or did she even know anymore? Like Cassidy'd said way back when they met; he was too old to play games. So what was this? Hope? Or just desperation?

Which if them was she even talking about any more?

"'s a damn good sight I love yeh too much ta leave, you'd have been far gone by th' time he came back if I hadn'ta found ya," Cass matched their fingers and sized their hands up, fidgeting to avoid looking at her.

Trying to seem submissive so she didn't push him onto the floor and turn her back. 

They heard the water pipes clang on; Jesse must be washing up. 

"You tried to change me?" She clarified, scooting slightly closer in the cold room. Cassidy's mouth twisted, something betraying regret. 

"Aye, I did luv. An' I wouldn'ha been sorry if I had. You'da been different from Denis. He was already an arsehole. Kin never trus' the ones that beg for it. It was selfish, I was so scared to watch yeh go. But Jesse tackled me and held me down while ya choked on the last breaths you could get while yer lungs filled up, made me let ya die... I should'a eaten tha day. There was bags in ta freezer. But I was too lazy to, and I couldn't fight 'im off by the time I needed to." Cass chewed on his lip, anxious and angry, until a slim finger traced the area, making him loosen immediately. 

This wee lassie, nothing but spitfire and rage at the best of times, made him so fucking soft and pliant. 

Good lord he was over the barrel on this one. She could get away with anything with him. 

"Do ya think he _knew_ this would work? 'r jus' hoped it would?" He asks, barely a whisper in the space between them. Tulip frowns for a second and thinks. 

"Why else wouldn't he have let you turn me?" But she knows the answer, she gave it to Cassidy herself back in Annville. 

Jesse would never look at her as _her_ ever again.  He might still love her, fuck her. Let her hang around, like he does Cass...but she'd always be _less than_ without her humanity intact. She knows it as well as Cassidy does, but it's a kick in the balls to say it aloud, so neither of them do. 

The water’s still running in the background, splashes of great gobs of it hitting the floor as Jesse washes several other people's blood off his body. Cassidy can smell it from the bed; he's so hungry his stomach actually growls for the first time since he-can't-remember-when. 

"You need to eat something," Tulip intones, tipping his chin back to meet her eyes again. Cass grimaces and nods. 

"Aye, I'm starvin', but I'll last til tomorrow, luv. Not leavin yeh." His fingers tighten incrementally over hers. "Lookit wat happen'd last time I let ya outta me sights!" He smiles when she chuckles, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. 

"Don't leave, ok? Even if he tells ya to," Tulip grips Cass' fingers back until he breathes an agreement and rolls over to her back, falling asleep quickly. 

Cassidy watches her for a good while, til the shower stall clangs off. He shuffles a couple inches closer so he can smell her clearly and hear her breathing, slow and even, and closes his eyes against Jesse coming back in the room. 

* * *

 Jesse toweled off and-- having no other options presently-- slipped back into his filthy clothes. 

When he opens the door, part of his mind registers the silence, aside from soft snores, coming from the din of his old bedroom. He walks out and sees the both of them laid out on the bed there, dead asleep, only inches apart. 

His jaw clenches, the hot stab of jealousy lancing through his gut. He flexes his hands once, twice, and soaks in the scene. 

How _could they_? His "best friend" knows better; he was there at Viktor's, just a couple weeks ago. Tulip is more than aware at how violently possessive he can get. What is she playing at?

Jesse tore his gaze from them and slid out into the hall, intent on finding Gran'ma's bourbon he knew would be stocked in the kitchen. 

Maybe a change of clothes along the way.

Jesse sits at the table in the dark and thinks back on what Cassidy--well, what both of them said earlier. 

He _is_ the one who kept leaving. 

When gran'ma says her piece and leaves, Jesse has a few moments between then and the last dregs of the bottle to think about what he's gonna do with all this bottled up rage, but keeps coming up short. 

_He is the one who kept on leaving...._

So can he really blame them? He up and left Tulip years ago, with no warning or inkling of where he was headed. Back in New Orleans he took Starr's bait _so willingly_ , leaving those two to grow closer together in his absence. 

Cassidy was so fucking desperate for acceptance and affection he didn't have to pay for that it wasn't really any surprise at all on his part that he'd take any chance he got to feel loved. And Tulip may be hard as nails, but she was good at loving those that she bothered with. 

* * *

 

 Cassidy listened to Jesse's heart race for all of a minute while he gathered himself before leaving the room. When the door closed over, he followed the preacher's footfalls to the kitchen, heard two cupboards thunk closed and a chair scrape across the floor before he opened his eyes. 

Tulip was still there, unbelievably enough. Still breathing, skin warm to the touch and _alive_. He could hear the wet thumps of her heart, slow and steady in sleep.

She was a fucking miracle, voodoo or not. 

He let the backs of his knuckles graze her forearm after several minutes, not intending to wake her, but she stirred anyway. 

"Hmm?" She breathed, eyes cracking open as she turned to face him. Cassidy froze, hoping that she wouldn't tell him to shove off. 

He hated himself for how pathetic that sounded. Like a fucking dog, happy to sleep at master's feet.

But she only hummed and wriggled closer, planting her sleep-heavy head on his upper arm, burrowing under his chin, and tucked her slim little arm between their chests. Cass was aware that he was holding himself stiff as a statue and willed his muscles to relax while she tried to get comfortable. 

Wouldn't do to have her go away, now would it? She'd come so close of her own accord. Before he had a chance to relax fully,  she grunted and pulled back slightly,  brow marred with disgust. 

"This's sticky n' smells. Off," Tulip slurred and plucked at his tacky shirt.

"Jess's gonna come back, luv. Prolly not a good idea for me ta be half naked in bed wi'yeh," Cassidy murmured against her hairline.

Tulip huffed in annoyance and separated the hems of his two tops, pulling at the soiled floral one and leaving the long-sleeve undershirt on him. The bloody shirt landed on the floor with a soft thump of finality.

"There, idiot. S'better," she nuzzled back close and pulled his arm around her back. "You two are gonna be fine," she added, tilting her head up to give him a pointed look. "We all are."

As if to drive the point home, Tulip untucked her arm and cupped the back of Cassidy's head, tilting him down for a soft kiss that just made his heart ache when she pulled back and pressed her face in tight against his throat to sleep. 

"Sure we will, luv. Sure," Cass let himself lay where she'd positioned him until he drifted into an uneasy, light sleep.

* * *

Jesse stared at that empty bottle for what seemed like hours, but it can't have been long at all. He rooted around the dark kitchen and ate a couple odd bits out of the fridge, and then stumbled back up to his old bedroom, beyond ready for bed. 

He'd successfully forgotten about these two for all of a moment, but it came crashing back down around his ears seeing Cassidy and Tulip curled up even tighter than before. 

Cass was facing the door now, arms close to his chest under the covers (his side of the bed wouldn't get the morning sun,  but he was subconsciously cautious) snoring softly. Tulip was spooned up snug against his back, her arm limp over the vampire's side, puffing even breaths between his shoulder blades. 

Jesse steeled himself. They could manage this. It wasn't war; they were fucking adults, dammit. 

And he was just so _tired_. 

So Jesse swayed to Tulip's side of the bed and nudged at her, making her press even closer against Cassidy in her sleep. Pursing his lips, Jesse stripped off his clothes, took a pair of Cass' briefs out of his pillowcase to change into, and slid under the covers behind Tulip. 

He smiled drunkenly when she hummed and nestled deeper between the two men,  hips shimmying.

They were squished on the double, but warm and comfortable at least. It was a matter of seconds after his head hit the pillow for Jesse to drift off with the scent of Tulip's hair in his nose and the back of his hand smashed between her belly and Cass' back. 

* * *

 

Cassidy sat up on the edge of the bed with a quiet groan,  trying not to wake his humans. He scrubbed both hands down his face and glanced over his shoulder, seeing Jesse and Tulip looking like 2/3 of a slightly deflated pile of limbs. 

Shite, but he'd slept like _hell_. 

But, as the only one who hadn't showered last night, he figured he'd better clean up before the house started buzzing and the sun came all the way up. 

The vampire took a deep sniff of the room,  smelling mostly dust and moldering things... The swamp outside didn't help matters.  But he picked up on the scent of knit cotton and got on his knees silently,  finding a pair of what he assumed were Jesse's old sweats from high school stuffed under the bed and long-forgotten. He pulled them out and yawned, heading for the bath. 

"Fucking windows in the shower, who t'fuck does tha'?" He muttered, clanging on the hot water, stripping, and climbing in. 

The first icy blast helped quell that lovely morning wood he had going, but just a bit.  Enough to angle for a piss down the shower drain anyway. Cass sniffed around for a bar of soap and some shampoo, finding the remnants of god-knows-how-old of each.

Better'n nothing. 

Cassidy washed the dried-brown traces of Tulips and Jesses blood off himself and leaned against the wall with his softening cock in his soapy fist, contemplating a lazy morning wank when the door opened and heat sucked out of the room.

"Oi, rude. I don't exactly get ta keep tha' body heat, yeh know? S'cold out." The glass door to the shower stall opened and there stood Jesse in _his_ underpants, glaring. 

"What the hell d'you think yore doing?" Jesse growled, flicking his eyes down at Cass' slow-moving hand. The vampire fought a grin when Jesse's nose wrinkled and his eyes popped back up. 

"Lazy Sunday wank, innit? Enjoyin a good clean-up 'fore we ditch dis place?" Cass shot for nonchalance. When Jesse said a whole lot of nothing back, Cassidy huffed. "This ain't locker room rules, padre, yer in 'r yer out, come on now." 

But Jesse refused to budge when Cass pulled on the door. Rankled, Cass rinsed off the soap coating him and smiled. "Yer right, boyo, let's see if I can' get an extra hand wi'this anyway." 

"The hell you will!" Jesse yelled, shoving Cassidy into the sink and managing a couple decent rib shots before long arms pushed him and held him back. "You can sleep on the fucking sofa tonight, dick. I let you have a pass last night, we were all upset. Not anymore." Cassidy rolled his eyes, smirking slightly. 

"Jess. I'm way too hungry fer this shite here. I don't wanna hurt yeh if yeh get me riled up, yeah?" Cassidy panted, loosening his grip with one hand to cup his throbbing ribs. 

"You can't fuckin hurt me, or you would _fought harder earlier_ ," Jesse hissed, nearly bumping chests with the other male. Cassidy's lip curled in a flicker of the animal underneath his skin, just as quickly gone as it was seen.

He reached for a reasonably clean towel and patted dry, slipping into a pair of the dusty sweatpants that had the name of a school going up one side. They were about a foot too short for his long legs, but oh well. He'd worn worse, and recently.

"I'll leave when _she_ tells me to. Not you, Jess."

Jesse still had a hand outstretched when Cass had broken off, so the vamp came forward, pressing his bare chest into that hand- until Jesse was backed into the corner behind the door- and angled his face down for a deep sniff at Jesse's throat, vibrating and dangerous as you please. 

"See, I think you're just' a wee bit biased when it comes ta her. Like she's not an adult who can make her own choices. Yeh wanna respect her fer the fiery, strong lass she is,  but on yer terms." Cassidy let his mouth get good and close, until he felt Jesse tense, coiled unbelievably tight underneath him, and grinned with far too many teeth. 

 _First time fer everything, padre_ , he thought; Jesse was holding his breath, though surely without realizing it. 

"I'm going _hunting_ ," he sighed, backing up. "Stay 'way from me til I'm back, yeh fuckin idjit," with that, he slid out into the bedroom to find coverage clothes now that the sun was properly up. 

Jesse stayed in the bathroom for a beat, breathing and surveying for any damage before going out in the bedroom to see Tulip pressing a small cup into Cassidy's hand. She'd dug her old jacket out of a bag for him and somewhere found some tall waterproof boots in the hall, too. 

"Ooh, thanks, lassie yer so sweet," he commented, sniffing curiously at the cup in his hand. It was obviously blood, not a lot, barely a mouthful, but it was fresh. Shrugging, he knocked it back after asking where it came from. 

But as soon as it hit his tongue he knew. Hell, he almost coughed it up except it'd be a waste, and he was quite hungry. _Almost_ hungry enough to lick the traces out of the bottom of the glass. 

That was human blood, right there. Still warm, tingling down the back of his throat. 

Before she could sink back onto the bed, Cassidy gripped Tulip's wrist and turned it and then the other one, looking for a slice and finding it at her inner elbow. "Where t'hell did this come from, then? Ah, I t'ink I know." He fussed over her, trying to ignore the electric thrumming of his molars, telling him to get closer, get _more_. 

 _C'mon Cassidy, yeh've got more control than this, yeah?_ He gentled his hold on Tulip's arm, very aware of Jesse hovering a couple feet away. 

"You're practically starving, Cassidy. Figured a little would help while you found something else, no big deal!" She crossed her arms and stood her ground, glaring up at him rebelliously. 

Cassidy grit his teeth and stepped back, letting go of her. "Look 'ere, tha both of yez," he gentled his voice, pleading for them to listen to reason now, pointing to them both in turn. "If I get _this_ hungry, enough that either of you _know about it,_ yeh push me out'a door or yeh find me somethin' _big_. I ain' ever wanted to eat off either of yez, I _don't_. Got it?" He let his voice drop on the last. They both nodded once, tense, wholly unused to seeing the vampire this serious. "Yeh don' know how much I'll need and I'm not biting either of yeh by accident. Sorry luv." Cassidy gently picked up one of Tulip's hands again, pressing a chaste kiss kiss her knuckles. "Thanks fer for tha wee snack'n all, but don' ever do it again." 

She nodded and let Cass pull her arm straight.  He licked his thumb and smeared the spit over her thin cut. Fresh, pink skin appeared almost instantly, but when she looked up in awe he was already slipping down the stairs, heading outside.  

**Author's Note:**

> What did YOU think of that look he gave them?  
> Personally, I hope that sherriff image on Dom's credit slide means Sherriff Jesse is gonna be an episode, which means he's gonna leave Tulip with Cass, letting the two of them alone for a while so everyone can sort out their shit.  
> Cinematic Jesse is a cunt.


End file.
